The fight to study Junior Seau's brain

Summary of 2 articles · Updated Apr 29, 2013

ESPN’s enterprise team looks at the importance of the study of the brain of former San Diego linebacker Junior Seau. But the fight over the late Junior Seau took it to a whole new leveland a key player was controversial Chargers doctor David Chao, who ste… (more)pped in to ensure that Seau's brain went to the league's preferred researchers. After receiving verbal consent from Seau's son Tyler, he had removed half of Seau's brain and preserved it in formaldehyde. Seau committed suicide last May 2 at the age of 43. He had brought his special "brain briefcase" to transport the sample for analysis. The two have traded allegations of bad science, unsupported claims, and underhanded tricks to obtain each new brain. An unfriendly split led to another group, the Boston-based Sports Legacy Institute, fronted by former college player and pro wrestler Chris Nowinski.

The competition to study the brains of former NFL players is ugly; almost as ugly as the league's decades of denying that concussions lead to long-term health issues. But the fight over the late Junior Seau took it to a whole new level-and a key player